Earth Kingdom Alliances
by JackieStarSister
Summary: My old ATLA songfics, now without lyrics, collected in one volume. Jet, Toph, and Suki reflect on how their relationships with Katara, Aang, and Sokka changed their lives. Canon-compliant. Rated K for mentions of terrorism, death, and teen romance.
1. Jet: What Have I Done?

_This chapter was originally published December 11, 2011 as "Second Chances"  
_

Character: Jet

Song: "What Have I Done? (Valjean's Soliloquy)" from _Les_ _Misérables_

Did a voice whisper in his ear that he had just passed through the decisive hour of his destiny, that there was no longer a middle course for him, that if, thereafter, he were not the best of men, he would be the worst, that he must not, so to speak, climb higher than the bishop or fall lower than the convict; that, if he wanted to become good, he must become an angel; that, if he wanted to remain evil, he must become a monster? ~ Victor Hugo, _Les_ _Misérables_

* * *

Jet didn't have an all-at-once turnaround or sudden epiphany. The change was gradual, but still visible – like a fault line forming in the earth.

Initially, all he felt was anger and frustration. But under the anger, he felt … hurt, somehow. Wounded.

He knew he had just lost three valuable friends and allies. So there was some cause for regret.

But the question that kept nagging him was: _What_ _had_ _he_ _done_ _wrong?_

He had been surprised when he saw Katara cry. He wanted to comfort her; but the ironic thing was, he was the one who had hurt her.

He had never cared about a girl the way he cared about Katara. (Once or twice he had wondered about Smellerbee, but she was never more than a sister to him.)

 _"You're_ _a_ _monster,_ _and_ _I_ _trusted_ _you!"_ That had stung. So had the ice that she had encased him in.

Did she hate him now?

"Girls don't like being tricked," Smellerbee told him. Jet didn't need to ask who she was talking about; she could tell what was on his mind.

He hadn't liked lying to Katara. He just thought it would be easier that way. Sometimes it was better not to know. She was still a little naïve about war. Sometimes you had to fight fire with fire. That was just the way things were.

* * *

 _Guilt_. Jet cursed the word for that emotion. But it crept into the back of his head, growing and twisting inside him. It made him clench his fists and shake his head forcefully and roll over in bed. When he tried to push it away, it became more persistent, almost haunting him.

 _"You_ _became_ _the_ _traitor_ _when_ _you_ _stopped_ _protecting_ _innocent_ _people_. _"_

Sometimes he felt inexplicable anger toward Katara. She had done this to him, caused him to question everything he did, doubt everything he believed in. Why did she have to show up and ruin everything?

He hated her.

No, he didn't.

What had he done wrong? What had he done to make her hate him?

The answer was so obvious he almost missed it. They were mad at him for trying to flood the town, and for beating the old Fire Nation man, and for deliberately lying to them.

He felt it was all justified. War changed the rules. They fought to survive, and to carry on the memory of those they had lost.

What else could they do? What other choice was there?

 _There_ _'_ _s_ _always_ _another_ _choice,_ that annoying thing called conscience reminded him.

* * *

For a long time, the Freedom Fighters' only goal had been to free the village in Gaipan. But Sokka had scratched that off the list. So now what could they do?

They had to evacuate the forest, now that the villagers and the Fire Nation soldiers knew where their hideout was.

"Maybe it's for the best," Smellerbee said as they left the treehouse behind. "Maybe we'll find a new life now."

The Duke and Pipsqueak – the youngest and oldest – decided to stick together. Sneers, the quiet loner, wanted to find his uncle who lived in a Fire Nation colony called Yu Dao. For a moment Jet stood indecisively, wondering what path his life was about to take. Would he go on alone?

"Jet? Longshot and I are gonna go to Ba Sing Se. Do you want to come with us?"

Jet was silent for a moment, considering. Then he smiled at her. "Yeah. I will. Thanks guys."

The good-byes were awkward and sorrowful. How did you say good-bye to the only friends and family you'd had for years?

No one made a motivational speech or gave reassuring consolation. They were just a bunch of lost kids trying to pick up the pieces of their lives.

Smellerbee spoke up quietly. "My mom used to say, it's never too late to start over."

That day, Jet finally came to a decision.

He had been wrong to hurt innocent people. Sokka and Katara and Aang had been right about that. From now on, there would be no fighting, unless absolutely necessary.

It would be hard to let go of the part of him that was a Freedom Fighter; for years he had made it the only part of himself that existed. But there were other ways that you could fight for freedom. Maybe he would find some in Ba Sing Se.

Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot paused for a moment and turned to look at their forest home one last time. The wooden rope bridges swayed in the wind. The place had a deserted look to it, where there used to be warriors and refugees and kids, swinging and fighting and surviving and living. It had been their home – for many it was their first real home.

It had been a part of their lives, and they couldn't deny or forget it. But now it was time to put it to rest and move on.

Jet turned and walked with his friends out of the forest. That part of his life was over. Now, he supposed, a new chapter had to begin.


	2. Toph: Speak for Myself

_Originally published November 12, 2011_

Character: Toph

Song: "Speak for Myself" by Aly & A.J.

* * *

It seemed to Toph that her parents were really the blind ones.

Toph felt bad for people who could see, and judged others by their appearances. So what if she was small and had gray-green eyes incapable of sight? Looks could be deceiving.

Sometimes she was annoyed at her parents' misapprehension. Other times she felt sorry for them.

Apparently they cared enough to meet with her teacher. But they didn't want to discuss her progress or achievements; they just wanted to set limits.

"I'm pleased to hear that Toph's private lessons are going well, but I want to be sure that she's not trying anything too dangerous."

"Absolutely not," Master Yu answered. "I'm keeping her at the beginner's level. Basic forms and breathing exercises only."

"Very good," Lao approved.

They talked about her as though she wasn't there. No one asked her for her opinion of her lessons or of herself.

Toph felt like she was invisible. She wondered, slightly amused, if invisibility could come with blindness.

* * *

"Avatar Aang, it's an honor to have you visit us," Poppy said warmly.

"In your opinion, how much longer do you think the war will last?" Lao asked.

"I'd like to defeat the Fire Lord by the end of summer, but I can't do that without finding an earthbending teacher first."

"Well, Master Yu is the finest teacher in the land. He's been teaching Toph since she was little."

"Then she must be a great earthbender … probably good enough to teach someone else."

Toph knew better than to speak up; but instead, she put her foot on the ground and earthbended a shock wave at Aang, who leapt up in surprise. "Ow!"

Toph smiled and took a bite. _That_ was how she made herself heard.

The adults didn't seem to notice. "Toph is still learning the basics," Yu said.

"Yes, and sadly because of her blindness, I don't think she will ever become a true master," Lao said.

There was a very short pause.

"Oh, I'm sure she's better than you think she is," Aang said loftily.

Great, even the Avatar was talking for her. Toph didn't even care that what he was saying was actually what she wanted to say; what annoyed her was that he was the one saying it, instead of her.

* * *

Toph was stubborn, but she didn't want to be a hypocrite. Which was what she was doing, more or less. She hadn't given the Avatar a chance to actually talk to her, to explain what he needed.

She didn't want to be like her parents, and stop listening when she didn't want to hear what was being said. So in the evening she decided to talk to him, and give him a chance.

"I'm sorry about dinner," she told him as they walked through the garden. "Just, when you were talking like that … I couldn't say anything. Maybe you're used to speaking your mind, but I'm not. Even if I tried … they just wouldn't listen to me."

"How do you know?" Aang asked curiously. "Have you ever tried?"

The question made Toph pause. Maybe when she was little she had tried to ask to go outside or try new things; but the answer was always the same, so eventually she stopped. Thinking back, she couldn't remember actually trying to tell her parents that their perception of her was wrong.

Come to think of it, she had never given them reason to think otherwise.

Then maybe … it wasn't entirely their fault that they didn't understand her. Maybe she should have made a greater effort to make herself heard.

But what could she do about that now? She could hardly walk up to them and say, "You've known me my whole life, but you don't know who I really am. I'm not a porcelain doll. I'm strong, and I'm a fighter. Oh, and by the way, I've been crawling through tunnels with badgermoles and sneaking off to fight in Earth Rumbles with really buff guys who would scare you half to death."

Strange, facing earthbending masters seemed so much easier than standing up to her parents.

* * *

"Toph there's too many of them. We need an earthbender. We need you!"

As usual, her father spoke for her before she could respond. He sounded angry and indignant. "My daughter is _blind._ She is blind and tiny and helpless and – fragile. She cannot help you."

Toph pulled her hand away. "Yes," she said defiantly, "I can."

She marched out into the arena, and earthbended a wall to prevent the kidnappers from making off with the Avatar. "Let him go. I beat you all before, and I'll do it again!"

"The Boulder takes issue with that comment."

The Hippo threw the metal cage across the arena. Sokka and Katara moved up to help Toph, but Toph held out her arms, blocking them. "Wait. They're mine." She had to do this herself, without help, in order to prove herself to her parents and teachers.

She smiled as she fought with her old opponents, not because it was fun – although it was – but because she felt proud. But not proud in her usual show-off way. Fighting in the arena for everyone – including her teacher and parents – to see, Toph felt she was finally making a statement, a declaration of who she was and who she wanted to be. _See_ _what_ _I_ _can_ _do!_ she thought childishly.

* * *

Toph thought hard about what to say during the trip home.

She tried not to be confrontational or defiant. She tried to be mature and respectful, so they would take her seriously. And most of all, she tried to be honest.

First, she told them the truth. About everything. How she had advanced in earthbending by learning from the badgermoles. How she had been running away and participating in Earth Rumbles for months.

Her parents were silent the whole time. Toph wasn't sure if they were more shocked or angry or disappointed. It made her a little nervous, but it also gave her a chance to finally speak for herself.

When she had finished her story, Toph took a deep breath, and everything she had been keeping inside her came pouring out.

"Dad, I know it's hard for you to see me this way, but the obedient little helpless blind girl that you think I am just isn't me. I love fighting. I love being an earthbender. And I'm really, really good at it. I know I've kept my life secret from you, but you were keeping me secret from the whole world. I know you were doing it to protect me, and I appreciate that. But I'm twelve years old, and I've never had a real friend. So … anyway, now that you see who I really am, I hope it doesn't change the way you feel about me."

There. At that moment Toph felt strangely satisfied. Because of Aang, she had finally been able to speak for herself.


	3. Toph: She's Leaving Home

_This chapter was originally published December 7, 2011._

Character: Toph

Song: "She's Leaving Home" by The Beatles

* * *

Toph hadn't cried in years; but standing before her parents, feeling the vibrations as the Avatar and his friends left, Toph shed a single tear. She cried because she knew, at that moment, that she couldn't have both groups in her life. She had to choose – her family, or her friends.

It wasn't a hard decision to make. Toph had run away from home before, just never for an extended period of time. Sometimes she had actually thought about leaving for good; but then, where would she go? She had had no where else to go. Until now.

It wasn't very hard to pack. She thought about essentials: a blanket, headbands, a change of clothes – not those fancy dresses or pajamas, but the clothes she wore to the Earth Rumbles. She included a paper with the seal of the Bei Fong family – her nobility might come in handy sometime.

Toph supposed she would need money at some point. Her parents had never given her any kind of allowance – after all, where would she spend it? She considered simply taking some of her parents' money, but that could be seen as stealing, even though she was their heir. In the end Toph settled for taking some of her jewelry and other expensive items that she could sell or trade later on.

For a moment Toph stood still. If she had been able to see, she would have looked around at her room one last time. Instead, she sniffed the perfumed air, ran her hands over the silk bedspread and gilded chair, felt the vibrations of servants and guards, curled her toes into the plush carpet.

She was not sorry to leave this place behind. There was nothing for her here. She felt no regret; and yet, she did feel some trepidation.

Toph shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. If she started feeling all guilty now, she wouldn't be able to leave. She couldn't miss this chance.

 _I_ _tried,_ _didn't_ _I?_ She had tried to be reasonable with her parents. But they had refused to listen. If they hadn't vowed to keep her guarded at all times, she wouldn't have had to run away; she could have stayed and trained the Avatar here in Gaoling. But her parents had tried to be extreme; so she was being forced to do the same.

That's what she told herself.

Toph wished she could write. Then she could have left a letter for her parents. Both before and after she left, she thought of fragments of such a letter.

 _I'll_ _make_ _you_ _proud._ She didn't want her parents to be ashamed of her. Sometimes she wondered if that had been another reason they kept her a secret from the world. Would they rather pretend they didn't have any children than admit they had a blind daughter? And now – were they ashamed that she had gone behind their backs so often, and was leaving home now?

 _Forgive_ _me_. Not because she was sorry for what she was doing, but because she didn't want them to hold a grudge against her.

 _I_ _love_ _you_. When was the last time she had told her parents that? Maybe at the last New Year, when everyone was happy and thinking about the good times they had that past year, and looking to the coming year with hope.

* * *

"Why?" That was the question Poppy kept repeating, even when she had stopped weeping. "Why?"

Did Toph care so little about them that she would leave them? Was her life really that unbearable? What had they done wrong? Had they failed so miserably as parents that they had driven their only child to run away from home?

Lao refused to believe that she had left on her own. "The Avatar kidnapped her. That's what happened."

That's what he told Master Yu and Xin Fu.

That's what he tried to convince himself.

* * *

Toph would never forget her first time riding Appa. It was strange, having no contact with the earth. Instead of footsteps, she felt the bison's heartbeat, the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

When Appa took off, Toph's first reaction was fear – the first time she had ever truly experienced fear. She gripped the edge of the saddle, her startled cry lost in the rush of air as they ascended. And for the first time, she had some concept of sky and infinity. It was frightening.

But leaving the earth, feeling the wind on her face, was kind of exhilarating. Almost … fun, actually.

 _It's_ _too_ _late_ _to_ _turn_ _back_ _now,_ she thought, smiling to herself as she leaned on the edge of the saddle.

She had done it.

She was free.

She could be herself now. No more secrets. She could have fun. She wouldn't be locked up at home anymore; she could see the was with people who recognized her and valued her for who she was. Now she could find her destiny.


	4. Jet: Are You Going to Ba Sing Se Fair?

_Originally published January 25, 2012 in "Second Chances"  
_

Character: Jet

Song: "Scarborough Fair". This ballad has the singer/narrator send a message to a former lover, giving him/her a series of impossible tasks to perform. If the lover succeeds in these tasks, then the singer/narrator will take him/her back. When I had the lyrics, I changed Scarborough to Ba Sing Se (since everyone goes there in Book 2) and replaced "parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme" with "Ginseng tea, White Dragon and time". I chose ginseng because it is said to be an aphrodisiac, and White Dragon (a plant that exists only in the Avatar universe) because Iroh claims its tea is "so delicious, it's heartbreaking." I don't know if thyme exists in the Avatar universe (I even checked "Cuisine in the World of Avatar" on AvatarWiki), so I replaced that word with "time" so it would fit the rhyme scheme, and because time is needed to heal wounds.

* * *

 _"Love imposes impossible tasks,"  
_ _Ginseng tea, White Dragon and time  
_ _"Though never more than your own heart asks,  
_ _And I must know you're a true love of mine."_

Jet felt like the past several weeks had been a kind of haze. The first clear recent memory he had, was of finding a "Lost Appa" leaflet.

He was surprised. Aang, Katara and Sokka were in the city? What coincidence – or maybe kismet.

Once he got over the shock, he felt happy, for the first time in a long time. Scared and apprehensive, too, but mostly happy.

Maybe fate was giving him a second chance.

If only Katara would be so kind.

* * *

He found Katara alone, putting up posters in an alleyway. Jet wasn't sure if this circumstance was good or bad for him; it meant he didn't have to deal with Sokka and Aang, but it could make Katara more uncomfortable.

"Katara."

Startled, she pivoted and gasped, clearly shocked. Jet saw that she was blushing, too.

Jet smiled, for a moment almost feeling his old confidence back. "I think I can help you."

This was the wrong thing to say. He was very nearly frozen alive again.

"Katara! I've changed!"

"Tell it to some other girl, Jet!"

 _No,_ he thought. He wouldn't tell her; he would show her.

* * *

"I'll come with you." This would give him more opportunity to help them, to show them that he had changed, and to be with Katara.

"We don't need your help," Katara said firmly.

"Why won't you trust me?"

"Gee, I wonder …" Katara mused sarcastically.

But she didn't try to make him leave, and no one mentioned it again.

Jet was almost afraid to let himself hope, but now, he couldn't help wondering … would it be possible for him and Katara, to be "together"?

It would be a long journey to Whale Tail Island. Time to heal, time to get to know each other, time to show her that he did care about her.

On their way out, Jet pulled Katara to the back of the group. "Look, I know I hurt you, and … I'm sorry."

Katara looked at him dubiously.

"What can I do to make it up to you?"

Katara shook her head. "It's impossible."

 _Impossible for me to make it up to you, or impossible for you to forgive me?_

The past eight years of Jet's life had been focused on doing the impossible. And now he would do it again.

Katara looked hard at him. "If you help us find Appa," she said grudgingly, "then I'll forgive you."

Jet smiled, satisfied. He had already wanted to do that, just to help them. But now, he had to do it to prove himself to Katara.

He surprised her with a one-armed hug. "I won't let you down," he promised.

Katara shook him off roughly, but Jet could see her blush.

* * *

Any hope he had had for a future with Team Avatar was quickly dashed. But, he still had a final opportunity to help them.

"Foolish boy." Long Feng's voice was full of contempt. "You've chosen your own demise."

Jet didn't care. He wasn't going to betray his friends again, even if not doing so cost him his life.

He saw the look of concern on Katara's face when she saw him lying on the ground. It was a strange moment, having his friends all around him. Somehow, that made death seem real to him, even more than the pain itself did.

He felt Katara's hands press down on his chest; surprisingly, neither felt embarrassed by this. But after a moment she drew them away.

"I'm sorry," they said at the same time. Then they looked at each other in surprise.

"I can't heal you," Katara stated, bowing her head.

She felt Jet take her hand in his, about all the movement he could make then. "You already have, Katara."

"Why?" Katara's voice was a strange blend of frustration, confusion, and despair. "Why did you do this?"

Jet looked at her. "You don't know?"

Blue eyes met brown for a long moment, a silent understanding passing between them.

The connection was broken by the voice of Smellerbee, always the realist. "You guys go find Appa. We'll take care of Jet."

"We're not going to leave you," Katara said adamantly. What kind of friend would she be if she left him at his most dire moment? She wanted to be with him at the end.

"There's no time," Longshot said quietly; it was the first and last time Katara and her friends ever heard him speak. "Just go. We'll take care of him. He's our leader."

Jet felt a surge of gratitude for his friends. He couldn't ask for anyone more loyal.

"Don't worry, Katara," Jet said tenderly. "I'll be fine." He smiled weakly up at her.

Katara closed her eyes in grief; when she opened them, they were full of tears.

She leaned over him suddenly, and kissed him on the cheek. "Good-bye, Jet," she whispered to him. Like the last time she said those words to him, her voice was full of grim resolve, but now it was also full of apology. They both wished they had time to tell each other everything they wanted to say.

* * *

Ultimately, Jet wasn't able to find Appa for them. But because of him, they came closer than ever, and in the end they did find him. In a way, Jet had succeeded.

Katara looked wistfully at the surface of Lake Laogai. Was this how Sokka felt when Yue died? He hadn't been able to save her, while Katara hadn't been able to save Jet.

But at least Sokka was able to be with Yue when she died; he had been able to say good-bye; and she had become a spirit, so he could rest assured that she would always be with him. He felt her presence frequently, whenever the moon came out.

Katara hadn't said good-bye. She hadn't thanked him for helping them. She had never gotten to tell Jet that she forgave him.

She felt guilt, too; not just because she had been hard on him, but because he had died trying to help them. He died for her.

A small comfort was that now she could remember Jet as what she had originally thought him to be: a hero.


	5. Suki: Cinderella

Character: Suki

Song: "Cinderella" by the Cheetah Girls

The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge, while an ordinary man takes everything either as a blessing or a curse. ~ Carlos Casteneda

* * *

Like any little girl, Suki heard stories about male warriors who rescued beautiful girls in desperate straights. While some girls sighed dreamily and wished they were princesses, Suki and her friends felt sorry for the women who couldn't make it on their own.

One of the reasons she trained so hard to be a warrior was because she didn't want to end up in a situation like that. She wanted to be able, brave, maybe even heroic.

Another reason – one she found she had in common with Katara – was so that she would be able to defend herself, her home, and the people she loved.

The last reason was a little embarrassing; it was a matter of pride.

Katara told Suki how she had had to fight for the right to train with male waterbenders. Over time, Suki learned that Toph had had to rebel against her parents' expectations, and relished stupefying the adult earthbenders in Gaoling.

One thing the girls all had in common was that they had to contend with others' expectations of them. Suki would never forget her first experience doing that.

"I treated you like a girl when I should have treated you like a warrior."

He still didn't quite get it. "I am a warrior," she said, before she kissed him on the cheek. "But I'm a girl too."

Being a girl was as much a part of her identity was being a warrior.

Why couldn't she be treated like both?

* * *

Suki jumped at the opportunity to help the group cross the Serpent's Pass. She could spend time with Sokka, and she could make sure they made it through safely.

The irony was, he was more concerned about her safety than he was about his own.

"Something happened at the North Pole, and I couldn't protect someone. I don't want anything like that to ever happen again."

He wasn't acting this way because he thought she was incapable, but because he wanted her to be all right. Suki could respect that; it was the same way she felt about him.

But Suki had been raised as a warrior, and after finally entering the War, she knew what the reality was. Anything could happen to either of them. One of them could lose the other. She tried to accept that possibility.

In spite of all her training, Suki was not invincible. She really was like any other warrior: she could be defeated, even captured.

That's what she told herself, when she was imprisoned.

* * *

Suki had spent the first fifteen years of her life in the same place,with the same people. It had been hard enough for Suki to leave her home and many of the people she loved. But she always had her girls, the Kyoshi Warriors, by her side. Until fate separated her from them, too.

Suki wondered vaguely what it meant, the fact that she was sent to the Boiling Rock. Did the Fire Nationals see her as someone who _needed_ to be confined in an inescapable prison? That seemed almost a compliment. More likely, they thought it best to separate the leader so the group wouldn't know what to do. But Suki knew better; the Kyoshi Warriors would muddle through. In fact, as long as they were all together, they might even be able to organize a jail break.

Suki doubted she would be able to. She was on her own, and there was no way she was going to ask any of the other prisoners to help – she had no way of judging who she could trust. Besides, this was "the Fire Nation's highest-security prison." This wasn't the kind of jail where you could scratch marks into the wall to keep track of the days.

She wondered what would happen if she asked a guard for the date. Probably she'd only get disrespect. Better to look down and not draw any attention to herself.

That was her reason for drawing back upon herself.

For the first time in her life, she felt alone.

Lonely.

Maybe her time here would be her time to be self-reliant. An odd way of looking at it, while she was waiting to be rescued.

Suki did feel fairly confident that she would be rescued. Sokka and his friends had a way of turning up where and when they were needed.

What would Sokka think of her, if – when – he did rescue her? He may not actually mock her, but he would think, _See, you can't take care of yourself_.

Would he be right?

* * *

Now, Suki finally understood why those old spirit tales were so popular. They were stories of hope, promises that even if you were suffering now, things would get better.

The only problem with that theme was that it implied that you don't have to try to improve things yourself, that you should just wait for someone else to do so.

But on the other hand … if you kept hoping and waiting for help, it meant that you weren't giving up. That was something she'd never thought of before.

Suki made up a story about herself, the kind of story that would be told to children before bed, or around a campfire. Since she didn't have any way to write it down, she repeated it to herself in her head, like a long mantra. It was her only entertainment, and it kept her hope up.

 _Once upon a time, there was a beautiful maiden who led a group of warriors. Though war raged throughout most of the world, the warriors lived on an island untouched by violence – until someone arrived who changed that._

 _A group of travelers came to the island. Among them was a boy, a warrior from the south._

Of course, spirit tales usually didn't have much character development, and two lovers would never be remembered for being at odds, even if it was only when they first met.

 _When the girl met the boy, their lives were changed forever._

 _They opened each other's eyes, and made each other look at the world in a different way. The boy learned that girls can be fighters too. The girl realized that she couldn't be satisfied with her own peaceful life when there was warfare and suffering in the world. So she and the other warriors followed their new friends' example, and left their home in order to help in the war._

 _Their bond of love was strong enough to withstand time and distance. They kept each other in their hearts, not knowing when or if they would meet again, but hoping that it would be soon._

 _One day the girl was captured by enemies, and taken to a prison far away. But the girl was strong, and she learned to be patient. She had faith in her lover, and she never gave up._

With this story running through her head, she found the days at the Boiling Rock endurable.

And it was fun to annoy the guards – some barely older than herself – with an air of cheerfulness.

* * *

After almost two months, Suki's hopes came to fruition. Her warrior in stolen Fire Nation armor arrived to rescue her.

It felt good to be working on a plan. Ironically, she felt important, like she was needed.

She came to the conclusion that there was no shame in accepting help, as long as it was looked at as teamwork. And she proved herself during the rescue: when the guys were out of ideas, she was already running across the crowd, and captured the Warden in less than a minute.

Sokka and his friends needed her as much as she needed them.

Over time, Suki decided that interdependence was simply part of love. She would depend on Sokka, but he would also depend on her. She saved him as often as he saved her.

She was separated from her friends again during Sozin's Comet. She heard Sokka's terrified scream, and knew he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to save her.

But she didn't give up, and she was able to save herself. And this time, she was the one to save them.


End file.
